Fruit sorter and cleaner



. BATES FRUIT SORTER AND CLEANER June 30, 1931.

Filed Jan. 11, 1928 IN V EN TOR.

. dented June 1931 enonen e. urns, or master, new vonx rnurr seams. in

Application filed January 11, 1928. m no. 245927.

becoming damaged and unfit for use, and fur- .thermore it is not believed that there is any machine which combines grading and cleaning or olishing of the fruit during its travel throug the machine.

- The object of the present invention is to rovide a combination machine, which will iirst remove'all dirt, leaves and verysmall fruit, then clean and polish the fruit, and

. then grade the same as to size, and deliver to the containers.

Another object being to provide a machine in which the parts may be removed for cleaning or renewal without having to disassemble the machine.

And a final object being to so construct the machine that the fruit will be cushioned at all times to prevent damage of the same.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain construction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which like figures of reference refer to corresponding parts in all of the views, but it is to be understood that slight changes may be made without departin from the spirit of the invention.

the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, with part ofthe supporting frame removed. Figure 3 shows an endview of the machine, with the feed hopper removed, to showthe a driving mechanism.

Figure 4 shows a partial end view to illustrate the method of mounting the taper rolls.

Referring to the drawings The machine comprises a supporting frame become separated from the fruit to be graded composed of the ends 10 and 11, whichare spaced apart and secured together by the side 12, and provlded with the legs or other supports 13. The ends 1 0 and 11 are formed with the bearings 14 and provided with the removable caps 15 attached thereto b the cap screws or bolts 16; and within said bearings 14 are rotatably mounted the taper rolls 17 by the, shafts or trunnions 18 and 19; the trunnions 1 19 bein extended and having secured there on the anged wheels 20, for thelaccommodation of the'round endless drive belt 21, which is given onecomplete wra or turn around each wheel of pulley 20,. so that the three .rolls will be rotated 1n the same direction, so

that the fruit will be prevented from becoming crushed betwe'entherolls, and also tending. to .rotate the fruit to bring all of its surface in contact with the rolls: the rolls being covered with felt, carpet or other suitable material to form a cleaning and polishing material, to brush and clean. the fruit as the same travels down the incline of the surface of the rolls; the rolls 17 being rotated through the pulleys 20 and belt 21, by a pulley 22 se- 7 cured on the end of one of the trunnions 19 and driven by a belt 23 from some suitable source of power.

In place of the pulleys 20 and belt 21 there may be employed sprockets and a chain, or other suitable drive means.

Adjacent to the end 11, is mounted a feed hopper or receiving table 24, upon which the fruit is placed; thishopper being laced on an incline and having a bottom ormed of spaced slats 25, so that all dirt, leaves and small fruit will at once drop through and and cleaned.

As the fruit travels down this inclined hopper or feed table 24, it comes into contact with the'rotating felt covered rolls 17, which" in turn rotate it, cleaning and polishing its surface, and the smaller fruit will pass between the rolls and drop onto a transverse'inclined table 26 of canvas or other suitable material to prevent damage to the fruit; these tables 26 being separated by the partitions 27 and each bemg provided with a combined chute and sorting table 28, leading to the container, such as a barrel (not shown) and affording the o erator a chance to remove any damage fruit fore it enters the container.

In this manner the fruit will be graded as the small size will pass between the rolls into the first table and so on according to size, and by the novel action of the rolls and their covering a friction will be exerted on the fruit which will turn the fruit onthe rolls to act on all of its surface before it has traveled far enough to pass between them, thus cleaning and polishing the same.

If during the process of cleaning and grad- 4 ing, the fruit tends to pile up between the rolls, or more pressure is required for proper polishin there may be employed a cover, com oseil of a suitable material such as a blan et, carpet, etc., which may be plain or quilted. and laid over the fruit and the rolls, or attached to each side of the frame to partly contact with the fruit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z A combined fruit sorter, grader and cleaner comprising in combination with an inclined feed hopper of a pair of end frames formed with alined bearings in the upper part thereof, shafts rotatably mounted thcrem, grooved pulleys secured on said shafts, a 'belt mounted on said pulleys including one complete wrap around the central pulley, and means for applying rotary movement to the central shaft, tapered rolls secured on said shafts, and adapted to rotate in the same direction, a cleaning material carried by said rolls, a se ries of combined receiving and delivery troughs mounted below said rolls at right angles thereto and in an inclined position, fabric orming the bottom thereof and adapted to renlzieive the fruit as it passes between said In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE G. BATES. 

